He hesitated. "Yes," he said at length; "I go to-morrow morning. I talk deir lingo; and if dey come from up de country, as I t'ink, I make friends wid dem." I agreed to accompany him, with David and the younger Mr Rowley. Darkness at length came on; and as the mist settled once more over the ocean we were unable to see many fathoms on either side of the vessel. We made these arrangements without consulting Kydd, for his conduct had been such that we felt it would be useless: indeed, when I looked round I could not distinguish him on deck. All this time the brig lay tolerably quiet, for though the sea every now and then struck her, and I feared sent her even more on to the bank, yet it did not break over sufficiently to wash anybody off the deck; the after part, indeed, remained perfectly dry. Here the ladies had collected, with the two boys, while the five gentlemen passengers, Jack Handspike, Timbo, and I, busied ourselves in getting up the muskets and ammunition for them and the guns. "We are going to fire," I heard Stanley say, and soon afterwards Timbo appeared with a hot poker from the galley fire, and our guns were discharged in succession. "Dat keep de niggers away," he observed, returning to the galley. I was surprised that Kydd made no inquiry when the guns were fired. As I was going aft I saw a figure come up the companion-hatch. I could make out that he had a number of packages under his arm. I was sure it was the mate, and my suspicions were aroused, though I could scarcely tell what he was going to do. I pointed him out to Stanley, who was standing near the mainmast. "We will follow him, at all events," he answered. As we got aft we saw him leaning over the quarter, and evidently engaged in hauling up the boat. "Mr Kydd, what are you about?" exclaimed Stanley, seizing him by the arm. "Are you going to leave the brig?" "I am captain, and who dares question me?" was the answer. "You shall not deprive us of our only boat, at all events," said Stanley. "If you leave the vessel, it must be on a raft, or swim for it." Kydd made no answer, but continued leaning over the side. We saw that he was dropping something into the boat. It seemed that he was about at that instant to throw himself over, when Stanley seized him and dragged him back. As he did so Kydd let go the painter, and before I could spring forward and seize it, the boat had drifted away from the vessel I would have jumped overboard and swam to her--I was on the point of doing so--when David, who had followed us, stopped me. "Stay, Andrew!" he exclaimed. "We are surrounded by sharks. I saw three just before dark. You would be their prey in an instant." Meantime Kydd was struggling with Stanley, who however quickly overpowered him.